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MH370 search: MH370 did not land in Diego Garcia, says US rep

KUALA LUMPUR: The US embassy here says there is no truth in speculation that missing Flight MH370 could have landed in its military base at Diego Garcia, located in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

An embassy spokesman also said there was no indication that the plane flew anywhere near the Maldives.

“There was no indication that MH370 flew anywhere near the Maldives or Diego Garcia. MH370 did not land in Diego Garcia.

“Under the coordinating efforts of Malaysia and Australia, the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet is working alongside 26 other nations to locate the aircraft based on areas identified by Malaysian and international experts,” he said in an e-mail reply to The Star yesterday.

MH370 disappeared on March 8 with 239 passengers and crew members on board the flight bound for Beijing.

There has been talk that the plane had landed in Diego Garcia, which is about 3,500km from Malaysia and which the United States uses as a military base.